Does Terrorism Work?

Richard English

The first ever sustained enquiry into one of the fundamenal questions about terrorism: does it work? And if so, then how?

Written by one of the world's foremost experts on terrorism, with over thirty years' experience analysing the field

Focuses on four of the most signficant terrorist organizations of the last fifty years: al-Quaida, the Provisional IRA, Hamas, and ETA

Uses a wealth of interview material collected over the years, both with former terrorists and their enemies in the counter-intelligence, police, and security services

Agues that we need a far more honest understanding of the degree to which terrorism works - and the precise ways in which it does so

Does Terrorism Work?

Richard English

Description

Terrorism is one of the most significant security threats that we face in the twenty-first century. Not surprisingly, there is now a plethora of books on the subject, offering definitions of what terrorism is and proffering advice on what causes it and how states should react to it.

But one of the most important questions about terrorism has, until now, been left remarkably under-scrutinized: does it work? Richard English now brings thirty years of professional expertise studying terrorism to the task of answering this complex - and controversial - question.

Focussing principally on four of the most significant terrorist organizations of the last fifty years (al-Qaida, the Provisional IRA, Hamas, and ETA), and using a wealth of interview material with former terrorists as well as those involved in counter-terrorism, he argues that we need a far more honest understanding of the degree to which terrorism actually works - as well as a more nuanced insight into the precise ways in which it does so.

Only then can we begin to grapple more effectively with what has become one of the most challenging and eye-catching issues of our time.

Does Terrorism Work?

Richard English

Table of Contents

Introduction1. Jihadist Terror: The Case of al-Qaida2. Ireland and the Provisional IRA3. Hamas and Palestinian Terrorism4. Basque Terrorism, ETA, and the Spanish StateConclusionBibliographyIndex

Does Terrorism Work?

Richard English

Author Information

Richard English is Pro-Vice Chancellor for Internationalization and Engagement at Queen's University Belfast, where he is also Professor of Politics, and Distinguished Professorial Fellow in the Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice. Between 2011 and 2016 he was Wardlaw Professor of Politics in the School of International Relations, and Director of the Handa Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence (CSTPV), at the University of St Andrews. He is the author of eight books, including the award-winning studies Armed Struggle: The History of the IRA (2003) and Irish Freedom: The History of Nationalism in Ireland (2006). His most recent book, Does Terrorism Work? A History, was published in 2016 by Oxford University Press. He is also the co-editor/editor of a further six books and has published more than fifty journal articles and book chapters. He is a frequent media commentator on terrorism and political violence, and on Irish politics and history, including work for the BBC, CNN, ITN, SKY NEWS, NPR, RTE, the Irish Times, the Times Literary Supplement, Newsweek, the Guardian, and the Financial Times. He is a Fellow of the British Academy (FBA), a Member of the Royal Irish Academy (MRIA), a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE), a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society (FRHistS), an Honorary Fellow of Keble College Oxford, and an Honorary Professor at the University of St Andrews.

Does Terrorism Work?

Richard English

Reviews and Awards

"In Does Terrorism Work?, Richard English offers an expansive and richly textured exploration of the question of whether terrorism realizes the goals of terrorists." --H-Net

"This book offers a reflective, astute, and deeply knowledgeable historian's answer to the critical question of "does terrorism work." As it brilliantly demonstrates the complexity and contingency of historical processes, the necessity of understanding different contexts, and the varieties of ways in which terrorism can be effective, it adds immense value to the debate." --Martha Crenshaw, Stanford University, and the author of "Explaining Terrorism"

"English is a brilliant political historian, with a reputation for measured yet hard-hitting analyses. He possesses a formidable range and depth of knowledge about modern terrorism. Unlike many commentators, his prose is calm; his conclusions sensible." Joanna Bourke, Prospect

"Absorbing attempt to answer a difficult question: does terrorism work? The author admits some people might struggle with daring even to ask whether terror works. He carefully sets out his criteria... insisting there can be no simple answer given the overwhelming complexities involved. Yet that does not make his work less valid." Ian Birrell, Observer

"A very interesting book." Thomas Nagel, London Review of Books

"A valuable resource for scholars ... as English suggests, we need to ask for whom terrorism works, and why." - John Gray, New Statesman

"There might well be thousands of books on terrorism, which means that it is extremely difficult to imagine something new. But Richard English's Does Terrorism Work? differs from most discussions of the terror phenomenon. English is a distinguished historian...and is very knowledgeable of the history and development of terrorist groups...English's meticulous examination of documents and personal testimony from various groups reveals that both leaders and followers who are prepared to kill large numbers of innocent civilians do not necessarily expect to be rewarded with victory over government forces or benefit personally from political transformation. English concludes instead that they are frequently driven by hatred and the desire to get revenge for the suffering and humiliation inflicted on them." - The American Conservative

"[An] elegant academic disquisition...English's most significant point is that the military over-reaction to a terrorist strike invariably generates more terrorist attacks." - London Evening Standard